


Of Formaldehyde and Whiplash

by DeiUta



Series: Opposites and Synonyms Attract [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Childhood Friends, Emotional Constipation, Extended Metaphors, Friendship, Implications, M/M, Metaphors, You could see it as Romance or Friendship honestly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 11:32:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12840276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeiUta/pseuds/DeiUta
Summary: Most people call Tadashi ‘the Flame that Melted the Ice King’s Soul’. They haven’t seen how cold seeps from his mouth when he’s deep in thought. Maybe if they saw the way Tsukki’s eyes alight when he starts raving about dinosaurs, music, or astrology, they’d catch the burning flame in his stomach.--This is a bit like those 'choose your own adventure' books, in that there's an option: for a more passive Yamaguchi, I'd recommend Run 1 [Chapters 1&2]; for a more active Tadashi, Run 2 [Chapter 3].





	1. A1-Formaldehyde pt. 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wonder which Yamaguchi Tadashi you've chosen.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> These first two chapters are 1 'run', in a sense. If you prefer a more.../active/ Yamaguchi, though, I'd head for run 2: Chapter 3.

Most people call Yamaguchi ‘the flame that melted the Ice King’s Soul’. They haven’t seen the way cold steam seeps from his mouth when he’s deep in thought. Maybe if they saw the way Tsukki’s eyes alight when he starts _raving_ about dinosaurs, music, or astrology, they’d catch the burning flame in his stomach, the ends of which flicker up to his throat, and sometimes through his nose, if the day’s bad enough. Maybe if they saw through Tadashi’s smiles, spotted the empty, frosty look in his eyes, they’d realise just how **wrong** they were.

 --

As it was, Tsukki tended to have a hard time reading Tadashi. Despite speaking far more than he did, it was rarely about his own feelings—usually just what was going on. So Tsukishima guessed his friends emotions, on the occasions he actually listened to him [usually when he was more fidgety than usual at school, or if he was rambling more than usual—but e _specially_ when he got quiet.]

 

Today was a weird day. A nagging feeling in the back of his mind made Tsukishima look at his friend more. And that’s when he noticed _how_ Yamaguchi tended to smile—a lifting of his mouth, a closing of his eyes, maybe an inclination of his head.

 

Tsukishima wasn’t sure if this was new or not, as he’d never thought to _look_ , and now he was worried something was up.

 

“Yamaguchi.”

 

He looked up, the same smile on his face—Tsukishima couldn’t see his eyes. “…How are you?” A slight pause.

 

“I’m fine, Tsukki. How’re you?”

 

“Are you sure?” Another pause, and his eyebrows scrunched up slightly.

 

“I’m sure. Why?” He turned his eyes towards the ground.

 

Tsukishima wanted to see, _needed_ to make sure.

 

“Yamaguchi. I’m up here.”

 

Tadashi turned his head towards him, but kept his gaze elsewhere. “ _What’s wrong?_ ”

 

“Nothing.” His voice caught, so he quickly cleared his throat, a smile blooming on his face. “You’ve been paying more attention today,” Yamaguchi half-confessed, and Tsukishima quickly averted his eyes, not wanting his flames to appear in front of so many people.

 

Fortunately [or unfortunately], his small intake of breath was noticed only by Yamaguchi, who only caught it because he knew what to look for.   


	2. A1-Formaldehyde pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few days later.

_A few days later…_

 

 

Today, Tsukishima was warm. He walked a bit closer to Yamaguchi on the way to school, nudged him while they ran laps, coughed to hide a chuckle (he was listening!!), slowed down on their way home so they could walk side by side. Yamaguchi wasn’t complaining. ~~~~

And then Tsukki hugged him. And while Yamaguchi still wasn’t complaining _necessarily…_ something was wrong.

 

See, Yamaguchi had just been trying to make a great day just a little bit better. Tsukishima had just nodded in agreement with one of his previous comments, so he was listening for sure.

 

“So, what do you want to do, later? It’s Friday, so we don’t have to worry about homework until at least Saturday afternoon—do you want to come over? Or would you prefer we go to your house? You do have better documentaries—”

 

Which was when Tsukishima Kei hugged Yamaguchi Tadashi. No warning, nothing. Just instant heat.

 

Yamaguchi briefly thought back to the article they’d read about the scientific benefits of hugging before remembering that _Tsukki was hugging him_ , at which point his brain almost short-circuited. He had to remind himself that his friend was not only testing the effects of hugs, but a smaller part of him that they would never properly talk about (except in their roundabout way) wanted comfort, for a reason Tadashi really needed to figure out and focus on if he was going to avoid that heat going…lower.

 

Yamaguchi had to de-stiffen, but eventually relaxed. “What happened?” His voice was steady, open for words from Tsukki, but also willing to end the conversation there.

 

Tsukishima inhaled. Steamy winds went through Yamaguchi’s slight curls. “Akiteru left a note.” So he was back from college.

 

There was a slight shuffling, and Yamaguchi almost re-stiffened at the realization that Tsukishima had brought the note out with him. Instead, he gave his friend a squeeze before holding a palm out.

 

Heat came and went, replaced with a cooling folded piece of paper Yamaguchi quickly closed his hand around, before curling inwards (keeping one arm around the large tree trunk before him) and reading the note. When he finished reading, Yamaguchi slid the paper back into Tsukishima’s jacket pocket, then tightened his grip on the still teen before him. The squeeze was returned, and a sigh heaved its way to the back of Tadashi’s neck.

 

 

 

 

_\--Good End--_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was called ‘formaldehyde’ because of the number of times I initially used the word ‘stiffened’. 
> 
> ;)
> 
> \--  
> Next chapter is kind of long. FYI.


	3. A2- (Icy-Hot) Whiplash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because Yama is whipped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Run 2:  
> I've bolded the first major change, in case you want to skip. It's a bit like dominoes from there.

_Tuesday_

 

Most people call Tadashi ‘the Flame that Melted the Ice King’s Soul’. They haven’t seen how cold seeps from his mouth when he’s deep in thought. Maybe if they saw the way Tsukki’s eyes alight when he starts _raving_ about dinosaurs, music, or astrology, they’d catch the burning flame in his stomach, the ends of which flicker up to his throat and sometimes through his nose, if the day’s bad enough. Maybe if they saw through Tadashi’s smiles, spotted the empty, frosty look in his eyes, they’d realise just how _wrong_ they were.

 --

 

As it was, Tsukishima had a hard time reading Tadashi. Despite speaking far more than he did, it was rarely about his own feelings—just what was going on around them. So Kei guessed his friends emotions, on the occasions he actually listened to him [usually when he was more fidgety than usual at school, or if he was rambling more than usual—but e _specially_ when he got quiet.]

 

Today was a weird day. A nagging feeling in the back of his mind made Tsukishima look at his friend more. And that’s when he noticed _how_ Yamaguchi tended to smile—a lifting of his mouth, a closing of his eyes, maybe an inclination of his head. Tsukishima wasn’t sure if this was new or not, because, stupidly, he’d never thought to _look_ , and now he was worried.

 

“Yamaguchi.”

 

He looked up from his lunch, the same smile on his face—Tsukishima couldn’t see his eyes.

 

“…How are you?”

 

A slight pause. “I’m fine, Tsukki. How’re you?”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

**Another pause, and his eyebrows scrunched up, slightly. “I’m sure. Why?” He turned his eyes towards the desk in front of them.**

 

Tsukishima wanted to see…needed to make sure.

 

“Yamaguchi.” The ‘ _look at me’_ was embedded in the command.

 

Tadashi turned his head towards him, but kept his gaze elsewhere.

 

“What’s wrong _?_ ”

 

“Nothing.” His voice caught, so he quickly cleared his throat, a smile blooming on his face. “You’ve been paying more attention today,” he half-confessed, and Tsukishima quickly averted his eyes, not wanting his flames to appear in front of so many people.

 

Fortunately [or unfortunately], his small intake of breath was only noticed by Yamaguchi, who caught it only because he knew to look for it.   

 

**

_Tuesday [aka the same day]_

Today, Tsukishima was warm. He allowed them to walk a bit closer on the way to school, coughed to hide a chuckle (he was listening!!), nudged Yamaguchi while they ran laps, slowed down on their way home so they could walk side by side. Yamaguchi wasn’t complaining. ~~~~

So when all of that went away the next day with a _whoosh_ of chilly air, well. Yamaguchi wanted to speak to the manager. But it was Tsukki, so he’d wait.

 

Waiting usually got him an answer by lunchtime, but they were currently walking home, the setting sun a fast-falling hourglass. Yamaguchi needed to gather his non-existent courage and confront Tsukishima. If only he knew what went wrong—the last time he assumed it was his fault, Tsukishima rightly pointed out how selfish that was of him. Which was why _this_ time he needed the right idea, but all he could think of was the possibility Tsukki _knew_ , and how that could break—

 

Tsukishima had stopped, and Yamaguchi just barely missed running into him. He looked up. “What’s wro—”

 

Tsukishima gracefully turned on his heel, his posture a bit more perfect than usual.

 

Yamaguchi looked to the side, trying to gauge his best friend out of the corner of his eye. He resisted the urge to sigh at the silence, realizing they could be there a while.

 

 “Tsukki,” he softly urged, feeling his legs turning to lead the longer they stood. He could see the last few grains in top-half of their hourglass, and he _needed_ to help his friend.

 

Kei whisked [read: swiftly dragged] him into his arms, long limbs easily wrapping around him.

 

Surprised, Tadashi let out a small _‘oof’_ , the air rushing out of him.

 

Tadashi quickly reciprocated, scared Tsukishima would withdraw at any hint of wrongness. Not that Tadashi was sure Tsukishima knew what was ‘right’ regarding hugs.

 

“What happened?” His voice was steady, open for words from Tsukki, but also willing to end the conversation there.

 

Kei inhaled sharply, yet quietly, then allowed steamy winds to push through Yamaguchi’s slight curls.

 

“Akiteru left a note.”

 

So he was back from University. There was a slight shuffling, and Yamaguchi almost jolted at the realization that Tsukishima had brought the note with him. Instead, he gave his friend a light squeeze before holding a palm out. Heat came and left, replaced with a cooling folded piece of paper Tadashi quickly closed his hand around, before curling inwards (keeping one arm around the large tree trunk before him) and reading the note. When he finished reading, Tadashi slid the paper back into Tsukishima’s jacket pocket, then purposefully tightened his grip on the still teen before him.

 

It was returned, and a sigh heaved its way to the back of his neck.

 

**

_Thursday_

 

Tsukki acted as if the previous day hadn’t happened, which was pretty normal for him. But Tadashi…Tadashi grew worried as his friend stiffened throughout the day, almost as if he were a bird going higher and higher into the sky, not knowing how to come back down to de-ice itself.

 

So when they finally came to where they usually parted ways, Tadashi made a split-second decision.

 

He walked a few feet in front of Tsukishima, then turned to face him, opening his arms: a question.

 

Kei paused long enough for Tadashi to begin lowering his arms.

 

Suddenly he had a face full of neck and _warmth_ slowly permeating the nippy autumn air.

 

A stifled “are you okay?” managed to make its way to Tsukki’s ears, to which a quick tightening of the hug replied. So Yamaguchi leaned further into him, and Kei hesitantly rested his head on Yamaguchi’s hair.

 

Just as Yamaguchi was starting to actually _relax_ , Tsukishima was walking again, long legs quickly taking him further and further away.

 

Talk about whiplash.

 

 

 

_\--Best End--_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If you made it through all three chapters, awesome. If you could only make it through the last one, that's cool, too.


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